Continental is further expanding its global activities in software development for the automotive industry.
New Development Center in China
The technology company, which is one of the leading providers in the field of automated and connected mobility, is today opening a development center for software and systems in Chongqing, southwest China. Not only will this increase Continental’s local capacity for software development in China, it will also allow the DAX-listed company to strengthen its know-how and expertise in the field of software and system development for modern vehicle concepts.
“With this step, we are programming our organization for increased growth in China as the world’s largest automotive market. The key to success there is local value creation, which we are constantly increasing. Roughly one in ten Continental employees currently works in China, and they will be joined by a low triple-digit number of software and IT experts at our new development center by the end of 2021,” said Continental CEO Nikolai Setzer about the company’s latest strategic move. He added: “We are at the forefront when it comes to software, employing around 20,000 software and IT specialists worldwide and operating our own software academy. With the addition of Chongqing, we are further consolidating our global network of development centers and gaining even more expertise.”
The technologies developed in China by Continental are embedded in innovative driver assistance systems, for example. They also control high-performance computers and customer-friendly vehicle architectures, and enable end-to-end connectivity of vehicle systems.
“In China, speed is paramount. With our local development center for software and systems, we are driving future mobility in the country. It will allow us to act even more flexibly and shorten our route to customers, with whom we will bring automotive trends to Chinese roads even faster. In this way, we will help them to stay ahead of their competitors with our pioneering, innovative technologies,” said Enno Tang, President and CEO of Continental China.
